Canada must do more in Syria

Re Syrian strikes kill more than 100, Feb. 21

In the face of the relentless slaughter of civilians, including many, many children, going on day in and day out in Eastern Ghouta, where is Canada’s voice? Where is Canada’s moral leadership?

Canada and the rest of the world, it seems, has become desensitized to the horrors of the war in Syria. So many years have passed and so many lives have been lost that too many of us have become used to the images of children’s torn and bloodied bodies lying in the ruins of bombed hospitals. In the past few days, more than 290 civilians, people like us, have been murdered by the Russian and Bashar al Assad bombs.

We click our phones to read about some other news. It’s just another day for us, as incredibly fortunate and privileged citizens of Canada.

We once had a prime minister who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, remember? We once stood out among nations as an in- spiring force for humanitarian action and tolerance.

It is sadly all too clear that the world can no longer look to the United States for leadership when it comes to brokering peace treaties and certainly not for leadership in ending the slaughter in Syria. But Canada has the potential to do much more than just use words to denounce the slaughter.

Back in the summer of 1995, the United States took a leadership role in ending the genocidal war in Bosnia. It is time for Canada to step up to the plate now. Shame on us if we do nothing.

Rickey Miller, North York